Daniel Gowing

Farming in the far southeast

Daniel Gowing was born in 1812 in Norfolk, England. After working as a hedger and thatcher, he migrated to Australia in 1841 with his wife Mary and their 2 children. A man of modest means, he settled first in the Bong Bong area, then Sutton Forest, and later at ‘Glenfield’ near Liverpool. Here, he worked as a nurseryman and farmer.

In 1855, he acquired 500 acres at Jellat Jellat and began farming wheat, maize and cattle. He followed the latest developments in heavy machinery. For example, he purchased the district’s first traction engine to power the ploughing of his extensive maize flats. He eventually owned some 3,000 acres in the area and became one of the most successful farmers on the South Coast.

Connecting the region

A key element in Daniel’s success was his enterprise in helping to develop the region’s transport links. During the 1850s and 1860s, poor-quality roads and the lack of a rail line meant local farmers were heavily reliant on steamer services to ship produce to Sydney and Melbourne.

The main port in the region was at Merimbula, but a submerged ridge of sand was a constant source of trouble and delay for cargo vessels. The overland journey to Bega was also laborious and costly.

Developing Tathra’s port

In 1857, Daniel offered a financial reward to anyone willing to ship produce from Tathra instead, some 25 kilometres to the north. The following year, the first steamer came to call, mooring offshore at the beach.

Cargo was transported by small boat from a spot known as Kangarutha, and later from nearby Kianinny. Daniel built loading sheds in both places, along with an access road.

In the early 1860s, Daniel led a group of local farmers in establishing a jetty at Tathra that could serve as a shipping outlet. The jetty was later superseded by a more substantial wharf funded by donations from farmers and the Illawarra Steamship Company.

Built out of turpentine pylons driven into solid rock, the wharf provided momentum for the development of Tathra, which soon grew to replace Merimbula as the region’s primary port.

Supporting South Coast advancement

Throughout his long life, Daniel maintained an interest in developing the Bega area. He established numerous businesses in the area over his life, including the Central Hotel which he built as an investment for his daughter. He served as vice-president of the Bega Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Society and was a longstanding member of the first National School board. His philanthropic activities included donating land for the construction of cottages for the region’s aged and infirm, and raising funds for a hospital. Garden parties at his home to raise money for local charities, and picnics for school children in his orchard, were annual events.